The U.S. has produced more than its share of women and minority athletes who have made their marks and claimed Olympic glory. But behind the scenes is a different story.
Ethnic presence in the U.S. Olympic movement is so rare that when it does occur it’s viewed as a blip on the radar screen. Dr. LeRoy Walker, president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, was never comfortable with that state of affairs.
To help remedy the situation, Walker, the USOC’s first Black chief executive, directed two task forces, one for women, one for minorities, to encourage diversity within the ranks of the USOC and the national federations that govern Olympic sports in the United States. Together they have developed lists of highly qualified administrators, educators and other professionals who are willing to volunteer to do the many jobs necessary to participating in the Olympics. As a respected coach and athletic administrator, Walker knows the score. He was the head coach of the U.S. men’s track and field team at the 1976 Olympics and has served in a variety of capacities within the USOC since 1977.
“Diversity has little to do with gender or ethnicity,” says Walker, who served first as vice-chancellor then as chancellor at North Carolina Central University for 12 years. “It’s more about us missing out on utilizing an untapped resource of talented and skilled people.”
